Floor cleaning and waxing device



March 10, 1959 J. A. WOODS FLOOR CLEANING AND WAXING DEVICE Filed Jan.28, 1957 ;:I 3 7 I 0 h I in u annnuunnnuu nli J I INVENTOR: JAM-Es Aweans,

ATTORNEX United States Patent F 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-139) This inventionrelates to a device for cleaningand waxing floor surfaces and tootherparts of a building re- 7 quiring such service.

It is the object of the invention to provide a device ofsimpleconstruction and convenientto operate. A further object is toprovide improved means for supporting a synthetic sponge pad thereon.Another object is to provide means for storing a suitable fluid withinthe device. A still further object is to provide means for controllingthe flow of fluid to the pad during the operation of the device.

These and further objects of the invention as well as the advantageousfeatures thereof will appear upon perusal of the'following detaileddescription and by referring to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the main portions of thedevice partly assembled;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the upper portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the lower portion of the device completelyassembled;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bottom members as they appear before thedevice is fully assembled;

Fig. 5 shows the valve at the upper end of the handle of the device; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the valve at the lower end of the handle.

The device of the invention, as illustrated in the drawings, consists ofa tubular head including an upwardly curved support frame 1 on the outersurface of which a pad 2 is mounted. The support is for this purposenear the ends thereof provided with inwardly directed posts 3 which arecaused to extend through openings 4 of the pad when the latter is placedin position over the inwardly directed flanges 5, 6 of the support,substantially as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The upper portion of the tubular head includes a locking member 10, thecentral portion of which is shown upwardly extended to form a bushing 11within which a handle 12 is tightly mounted. The locking member is of awidth somewhat greater than the distance between the edges of theflanges 5, 6. When so proportioned, it is a simple matter to push one ofthe edges of the member into the soft pad below the flange 5 and toswing the handle and member to cause the member to compress the pad topermit the other edge of the member to pass over the flange 6 of thesupport. When pressure is released, it is found that the locking memberby the resistance oifered by the pad will become centrally positionedwithin the support and will maintain the parts of the device assembledduring operations of the device.

The handle is tubular and it is at the bottom thereof fitted with avalve 15 which is seated in a bushing 16 and the latter is rigidlymounted in position in the lower end of the handle. A valve seat 17 isplaced within the bushing and the stem 18 of the valve extendsdownwardly through the bushing terminating at its lower end in a head19. A spring 20 is placed on the stem be- 2,8 76,476 Patented Mar. 10,1959 tween this head and a washer 21 normally to maintain the valveclosed. It is important to note that the head 19 of the valve almosttouches the inner surface of the support member when the device isassembled as above described.

The solution required for the cleaning or waxing operations may now bepoured into the handle whereupon the upper end thereof is tightly closedby a cap 25. A valve 26 is seated in this cap and a spring 27 normallymaintains the lower opening of the cap tightly closed for the purposewhich will now be described.

Solution is admitted to the support member 1 while the handle is held invertically directed position by applying downward pressure to the handleto cause the central portion of the locking member, which is made ofresilient material, to flex downwardly, substantially as indicated at 10in Fig- 1, thereby to press the edges of the locking member against theposts 3, thereby to cause the. head 19 of the valve stem to contact theinner surface. of the support member and as the pressure on the handleis increased further to depress the central portion of the lockingmember to cause the valve stem to move upwardly thereby to raise thevalve clear of its seat. Fluid from the handle is now free to flowthrough the bushing and to pass through openings 30 at the lower endthereof to the space between the locking member and the support member.This flow will be discontinued the moment the pressure'on the handle isreleased. The flow of fluid is by the openings 30 lengthwise directedover the middle portion of the support member surface.

It is important to note that the ends of the clamping member 10 arerecessed to form deep outwardly flaring openings 21, 22. The operator isable through these openings to watch the flow of the fluid along themiddle portion of the pad support surface and to determine when it istime to release the pressure on the handle. The spring will then againclose the valve to arrest further flow of the fluid. The ends of thesupport member are shown upwardly curved to provide flanges 35, 36 whichwill prevent overflow of the fluid flowing along the middle portion ofthe surface.

The device is now ready for the cleaning or waxing operation and it isfound most convenient during this operation to hold the handle tilted tothe position normally taken by such devices, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It is important to note that thepad support member is at each side thereof, directly below the posts 3,provided with a row of narrow, upwardly directed slots 31, 32. And it isseen that the fluid will, while the handle is held so inclined, flowthrough the slots 32 into and through the pad for deposit on the surfaceoperated upon. The device may now be operated, maintaining the handletilted substantially as shown until it is noticed that an insuflicientamount of fluid is deposited on the surface operated upon. The handlemay then be returned to the upright position and depressed again to movethe valve stem to open the valve for additional deposit of fluid on theinner surface of the member. The operation may then be resumed. It is tobe understood that the handle may be tilted in either direction tosupply fluid to the portion of the pad contacting the surface operatedupon.

The level of the fluid within the handle will during these operationssettle and it is found that, while the upper valve 26 remains closed, apartial vacuum will gradually be formed above the fluid level to retardor even to prevent fluid dispension through the lower valve 15. When theoperator watching the fluid dispension through the openings 21, 22notices this slowing down, it is merely required momentarily to depressthe button 28 to open the upper valve 26 to admit air to the interior ofthe handle and so to relieve this condition,

It should be clear from this description that the upper valve performsthe important function of preventing an oversupply of fluid enteringinto the pad support member should the operator inadvertently maintainthe valve 19 open for too long a period of time.

The pad may be of any suitable material of suflicient strength towithstand the pressure it is subjected to during the operation of thedevice. I have found polyurethane composition well suited for thispurpose. The side edges of the pad should be reinforced by placingthereon metal flanges 7, 8 which will engage the lower surface of theposts 3 when the parts are completely assembled securely to maintain thepad in position therein.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising an upwardly curved padsupport having inwardly directed side. edges, the support having nearits ends below the side edges thereof inwardly directed posts and seriesof vertically directed slots directly below said posts, a porous padmountable on the support, the pad having perforations therein engagingthe posts of the support, a somewhat curved resilient locking memberseatable in the pad against the posts-of the support, a tubular handlerising from the middle of the locking member, a valve 2 seated in thelower end of the handle, the stem of the valve reaching nearly to theinner surface of the support, a spring normally maintaining the valve inclosed position, and an operating fluid in the handle, the handle beingdownwardly movable to depress the middle portion of thelocking memberthereby to advance the valve 4 stem against the inner surface of thesupport to open the valve for fluid to flow from the handle along theinner surface of the support and upon tilting the handle through theslots of the support into the pad.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a cap is seatable in theupper end of the handle.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which metal flanges are mountedon the side edges of the pad for contact with the underside of the postswhen the pad is mounted in position on the support.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a valve is seated in thecap of the handle, and manually operable means for opening said handlecap valve to admit air to the space within the handle.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the edges at the ends ofthe support member are upwardly curved to form fluid arresting flanges.

6, A device as set forth in claim 1 in which deep outwardly flaringrecesses are sunk into the ends of the locking member to enable theoperator to observe the flow of the fluid along the inner surface of thesupport.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 359,003Baldwin M31. 3, 1887 1,445,976 Sealund Feb. 20, 1923 2,566,008 StewardJuly 10, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS- 12S,5 59 Sweden July 19', 1949 508,708Germany Oct. 1, 1930

